Born in 1957 in Braunschweig, Germany, Gerhard Kruse has been immersed in the ever-evolving world of progressive rock since its earliest days. His musical journey began at 13 when he received an acoustic guitar for his birthday, setting him on a path of discovery that would ultimately lead to the formation of his project, Flying Heartbone. With the March 20 release of his latest album, Liquid World, Kruse once again showcases his ability to to draws from a lifetime of musical influences.
At its core, Liquid World is, as Kruse puts it, “pure retro prog,” but that doesn’t mean he adheres strictly to genre conventions. “I shamelessly draw on all the influences of the music I like,” he says. “However, a certain dramaturgy or theatricality is very important to me. I want to take the listener on a musical journey. Literally, there’s a beginning, stages, and an end. Ideally, they’ll experience something they didn’t expect.”
Kruse’s approach to composition is deeply rooted in his formative years, having witnessed firsthand the rapid evolution of progressive rock in the late ’60s and early ’70s. “Early progressive rock worked very differently back then than it does today,” he reflects. “Fans wanted to be surprised. And I was just a fan myself back then. They expected the unexpected. I always tried to design my compositions so that the next musical step was unpredictable, that is, surprising.”
This tendency to subvert expectations wasn’t always well-received in the practice rooms of Braunschweig and Berlin. “I had no other choice but to go the DIY route,” Gerhard admits. “It gave me the freedom to do what I wanted musically; however, I obviously lacked the influence of other band members. I had to familiarize myself with the musical creation processes of each instrument. I create more like classical composers. They can’t play all the instruments they compose for either.”
Flying Heartbone’s music is a product of complete creative independence. “As I said, nobody wanted to play with me,” he says with a laugh. “At least not in Berlin in the ‘80s, when, at best, people were already on an indie trip or just wanted to copy the latest hit.” While this solitude may have limited his access to a traditional band setup, it also granted him an unparalleled level of artistic control. “I’m completely independent of the dictates of the music industry, which had a strong influence on bands’ sounds up until the 2010s,” he explains. “But it hasn’t gotten any better because of it. Today, role models seem even more powerful, and the sound is very firmly established, depending on the genre. I like to draw on all genres that suit me and have the opportunity to blend funk elements, hard or heavy rock, pop, ’80s new wave, and even elements of classical music into my own creations.”
Kruse honed his technical skills at the School of Audio Engineering in Berlin, an education that profoundly shaped his approach to production and mixing. “I think most listeners aren’t aware of how much influence a good audio engineer has on what they, as fans of a band, love so much,” he notes. “I maintain that the audio engineer is still responsible for 80% of the success of a major mainstream production. Today, independent bands can create a mix of acceptable quality themselves using good mixing tool presets. Aside from acquiring technical skills, I’ve retained one thing above all else from my training: Learn to listen!”
That meticulous attention to sound is evident throughout Liquid World. Kruse’s method of blending genres and influences isn’t a calculated effort—it’s simply an extension of how he hears and experiences music. “It’s not a question of how. I want it this way. I do it this way,” he states. “I want variety, nothing static, something unexpected around every corner.”
Despite the modern dominance of electronic production, Gerhard’s foundation remains rooted in acoustic guitar. “Conceiving a song on something as sonically boring as a nylon-string guitar always tempted me to use the instrument exclusively as a harmony instrument,” he explains. “This led me to create many harmonic changes, and this works best when the harmony used is open to the following, etc. Classical harmony theory didn’t help me much; it’s more the open harmonic sequences of jazz that are useful to me.”
Thematically, Liquid World embodies its title in more ways than one. “The fluidity and change are initially evident in the ambiguous chord progressions,” Kruse says. “But in depth psychology, the Liquid World also represents the subconscious and the maternal. In his poem ‘Before We Mothernaked Fall’, Dylan Thomas describes the Liquid World as the essential antithesis of Solid Land, the harsh world of materiality and the struggle for existence.” This concept extends to the album’s cover art, which visually encapsulates the tension between those two worlds.
Looking at the broader progressive rock landscape, Kruse acknowledges a stark contrast between the genre’s early days and its modern evolution. “There’s a big difference between progressive rock in the ’70s and neo-prog,” he says. “Early prog was characterized by an anarchic desire for experimentation, not always with top results. Neo-prog has a strong tendency toward genre and niche formation. My musical approach is more nostalgic, stemming from the ’70s, albeit not nearly as bold and wild, but also somewhat more sophisticated.”
For Gerhard, the recording studio serves as both his sanctuary and his orchestra. “I’m a composer, not a musician,” he clarifies. “My role is more like that of a 19th-century composer and conductor. I give the notes and playing directions to my orchestra, and the digital audio workstation plug-ins do exactly what they’re supposed to. I can give each instrument the space, the sound, the intensity I want. I don’t actually have to consider the abilities and inspirations of band members.”
Despite his deep immersion in studio work, Kruse remains keenly aware of the challenges independent artists face in reaching an audience. “It’s obvious that if you just sit in your home recording studio, you won’t reach any audience,” he says candidly. “And that’s how I’ll continue to do it.”
As for the future, Kruse doesn’t see live performances in the cards—at least not yet. “Definitely the latter,” he confirms when asked if he’ll remain focused on studio projects. But, ever the progressive spirit, he leaves the door open for the unexpected: “Maybe my perfect band will come around the corner tomorrow…”
Stream Liquid World on Bandcamp.
